Protective Effect of Probiotics Isolated from Traditional Fermented Tea Leaves (Miang) from Northern Thailand and Role of Synbiotics in Ameliorating Experimental Ulcerative Colitis in Mice.

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of probiotics and synbiotics from traditional Thai fermented tea leaves (Miang) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice, in comparison to sulfasalazine. C57BL/6 mice were treated with probiotics L. pentosus A14-6, CMY46 and synbiotics, L. pentosus A14-6 combined with XOS, and L. pentosus CMY46 combined with GOS for 21 days. Colitis was induced with 2% DSS administration for seven days during the last seven days of the experimental period. The positive group was treated with sulfasalazine. At the end of the experiment, clinical symptoms, pathohistological changes, intestinal barrier integrity, and inflammatory markers were analyzed. The probiotics and synbiotics from Miang ameliorated DSS-induced colitis by protecting body weight loss, decreasing disease activity index, restoring the colon length, and reducing pathohistological damages. Furthermore, treatment with probiotics and synbiotics improved intestinal barrier integrity, accompanied by lowing colonic and systemic inflammation. In addition, synbiotics CMY46 combined with GOS remarkedly elevated the expression of IL-10. These results suggested that synbiotics isolated from Miang had more effectiveness than sulfasalazine. Thereby, they could represent a novel potential natural agent against colonic inflammation.

Genotypic profile of Streptococcus suis serotype 2 and clinical features of infection in humans, Thailand.

To examine associations between clinical features of Streptococcus suis serotype 2 infections in humans in Thailand and genotypic profiles of isolates, we conducted a retrospective study during 2006-2008. Of 165 patients for whom bacterial cultures of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or both were positive for S. suis serotype 2, the major multilocus sequence types (STs) found were ST1 (62.4%) and ST104 (25.5%); the latter is unique to Thailand. Clinical features were examined for 158 patients. Infections were sporadic; case-fatality rate for adults was 9.5%, primarily in northern Thailand. Disease incidence peaked during the rainy season. Disease was classified as meningitis (58.9%) or nonmeningitis (41.1%, and included sepsis [35.4%] and others [5.7%]). Although ST1 strains were significantly associated with the meningitis category (p<0.0001), ST104 strains were significantly associated with the nonmeningitis category (p<0.0001). The ST1 and ST104 strains are capable of causing sepsis, but only the ST1 strains commonly cause meningitis.

Clonal dissemination of human isolates of Streptococcus suis serotype 14 in Thailand.

Most cases of Streptococcus suis infection in humans are caused by serotype 2 strains, and only a few cases caused by other serotypes have been reported. Among 177 human isolates of S. suis in Thailand, 12 (6.8 %) were identified as being of serotype 14, and an occurrence of sporadic S. suis serotype 14 infection was noted during 2006-2008, particularly in northern Thailand. Clinical presentations of the 12 patients (median age 62.9 years) included meningitis (58.3 %), septic arthritis (25 %) and sepsis (16.7 %). These clinical features were similar to those previously reported for S. suis infections, except that there were no fatal cases. All of the 12 serotype 14 strains belonged to the multilocus sequence types (ST) 105 (n=11) and the novel ST127 (n=1). Molecular typing by PFGE revealed four different pulsotypes, including an identical pattern for nine ST105 strains and three closely related patterns for two ST105 strains and one ST127 strain. Our PFGE data suggested clonal dissemination of ST105 strains in Thailand. Because serotype 14 is becoming a more common cause of S. suis infections in humans, diagnostic tests for serotype 14 should be performed in South-East Asian countries.

Class 1 integron containing metallo beta-lactamase gene blaIMP-1 in carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Thailand.

We investigated the genetic properties of two carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates collected from a regional hospital in the north of Thailand. Both isolates demonstrated high-level resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins and carbapenems. Detection of the MBL genes was positive for bla (IMP) in both isolates. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis showed that the two P. aeruginosa isolates were nonclonal. Molecular analysis of the bla (IMP) in isolate 837 showed the presence of a bla (IMP-1) gene inserted in a class 1 integron. The bla (IMP-1) was plasmid-mediated according to the transformation assay. This is the first case of the bla (IMP-1) gene in carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa in Thailand, suggesting the further dissemination of this gene in Southeast Asia.

SHV-12 extended spectrum beta-lactamase associated with high-level ceftazidime resistance in Enterobacter cloacae isolated from Thailand.

Four Enterobacter cloacae clinical isolates with reduced susceptibility to ceftazidime from two hospitals in Thailand were studied. Production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase was confirmed by double disk synergy test and combination disk method. All isolates were highly resistant to ceftazidime but retained susceptibility to imipenem. One isolate was able to hydrolyze cefotaxime, ceftazidime and cefepime, the latter being one of the treatment choices for infection by Enterobacter spp. PCR analysis demonstrated the presence of bla(SHV12) in addition to bla(TEM-1) in all isolates suggesting that SHV-12 was associated with high-level resistance to ceftazidime in the E. cloacae isolates.

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii producing OXA-23 in Thailand.

We investigated the resistance determinant of 13 clinical isolates of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii collected from a regional hospital in the north of Thailand. All isolates were multidrug resistant and produced the OXA-23 carbapenemase. The bla(OXA-23) gene was found adjacent to ISAba1. Furthermore, two isolates carried the metallo beta-lactamase gene, bla(IMP). The bla(OXA-23) and bla(IMP) genes were plasmid-mediated according to the transformation assays. This is the first description of OXA-23-producing A. baumannii from Thailand.

Dissemination of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli in Thai hospitals.

Fifty clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli with reduced susceptibility to third-generation cephalosporins, collected from 11 hospitals in Thailand, were studied. All isolates were found to produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), as judged by double-disk synergy and combination disk methods. Most ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae isolates were resistant to ceftazidime (94%) and aztreonam (90%). In contrast, most ESBL-producing E. coli isolates were resistant to ceftriaxone (95%) and cefotaxime (74%). Plasmid DNA was isolated and beta-lactamase genes were identified by PCR and sequencing. We found that SHV-12 and CTX-M-14 were the main ESBLs responsible for resistance in K. pneumoniae and E. coli, respectively. SHV-27, SHV-28, and CTX-M-14 were detected in three, two, and four K. pneumoniae isolates, respectively. A high genetic diversity among ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae and E. coli isolates was observed. In addition, the finding of a few isolates that produced identical restriction patterns on pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) suggests the clonal spread of resistant bacteria within the hospital.